1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to liftgates used to bring loads to and from ground level and the level of a vehicle's payload area.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liftgates are typically mounted at the rear of trucks, truck trailers and the like to bring payloads from ground level up to the bed of the truck or from the bed to the ground. In some applications, it is desirable to configure the liftgate so that it folds away when not in use. Examples of such designs are the cantilever Tuk-A-Way® liftgates available from Maxon (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.), assignee of the current invention. Typically, these liftgates employ parallelogram linkages to maintain the liftgate in a horizontal plane through the lifting range. The liftgate is attached to the parallelogram linkages by pivot members, which allow the liftgate to be placed in a generally vertical position when in the lowered position. When in the vertical position, operation of the lifting mechanism rotates the liftgate into an inverted, stowed position beneath the vehicle body.
Prior art Tuk type cantilever liftgates present various challenges having to do with their shipping and installation. All prior art Tuk type cantilever liftgates mount to the vehicle chassis. Thus, these liftgates are susceptible to misalignment with the vehicle body. When misaligned, operation of the liftgate can exert differential force on the vehicle body and truck body, tending to separate them. Further, typical cantilever liftgates, when shipped from the factory, are partially disassembled and have awkward shapes, requiring substantial packaging. Further, proper installation necessitates that several of the components must be precisely aligned and then securely mounted to the vehicle. Moreover, the liftgate must be fitted to the vehicle only after the truck body has been attached to the chassis. Consequently, proper installation of prior art liftgates involve significant time and expense.
Accordingly, what has been needed is a Tuk type cantilever liftgate design configured for easy shipping that simplifies installation while improving overall strength and reliability. This invention satisfies these and other needs.